Istanbul can amaze you from the first moment...by being the home of the most important sights worldwide!
Topkapi PalaceTopkapi is a complex of small buildings full of color, and indelible beauty! A palace that housed for almost 400 years, Ottoman Sultans, their families and about 4000 people who also lived there. It is the place where most of the important decisions about the Ottoman Empire were taken ! A palace that housed not only the Sultans, but also many unbelievable stories, countless intrigues, schemings and murder scenarios between the wifes of the Sultans and not only…! Mehmet the Conqueror built the first stage of the palace shortly after the Conquest in 1453. Consists of four main courtyards and the Harem which in Arabic language means…“a holy place that everyone is not allowed to enter” |
Hagia SophiaOne of the most precious jewels of the World Heritage… also called as “the eighth wonder of the world”. Sits proudly in the center of the old city for almost 1700 years, expecting from the visitors to admire its greatness! It was built in 537,dedicated to the Wisdom of God and it was a Christian church for over 900 years…until the conquest of Istanbul by Fatih Sultan Mehmet in 1453. Hagia Sophia is an amazing architectural sample of Byzantium Era. In 1935, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk converted it into a museum |
Blue MosqueThis imposingly beautiful mosque is a 400 year old Cami that dominates the sky of Istanbul! It was built over the site of the ancient Hippodrome, between 1609-1616, for Sultan Ahmet and took its name because of its amazing blue-tiled interior. Blue Mosque is one of the two mosques in Turkey with six minarets! Besides of being a tourist attraction, it is also an active mosque which closes its door five times a day |
Grand BazaarGrand Bazaar is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4.000 small shops! It is well known for the beautiful Turkish carpets, the glazed tiles and pottery, the copper and brassware, the apparels made of leather,for the hand-painted ceramics, the embroideries, the fresh spices and herbs, the glittering jewellery and all sorts of other things. The complex houses also two mosques, four fountains, two hamams, and several lovely cafes and restaurants |
Basilica SisternAlso known as the Sunken Palace! This cistern is one of İstanbul’s most surprising attractions. İt can hold up to 2.8 million cubic of water and it counts with 336 columns which support the ceiling. Don’t miss the upside-down head of Medusa that forms the bottom of two columns |
Dolmabache PalaceDolmabahce Palace is the largest and the most impressive palace in Turkey. It is a stunning palace which is extensively decorated with gold and crystal while the design contains elements of the Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical styles. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk lived and passed away in the palace and later on his death it was converted into a museum. The main palace was built by the leading Ottoman architects of the era, Karabet and Nikogos Balyan, and it is consisted of three parts: the Imperial Mabeyn (State Apartments), Muzayede Salon (Ceremonial Hall) and the Imperial Harem |
Chora MuseumIn Greek, Chora means ''country''. This lovely church lies just outside the old walls of Constantinople . The Chora Church was probably built around the 5th century, but what you see now is the building’s 6th reconstruction. It was completely destroyed in the 9th century and went through several renovations from the 11th to 14th centuries. İt has magnificent mosaics and frescoes representing the genealogy of Christ and New Testament stories. İt has been described as one of the most beautiful surviving works of Byzantine architecture |
Galata TowerIs a medieval stone tower in the Galata/Karaköy, just to the north of the Golden Horns junction with the Bosphorus. One of the city’s most striking landmarks! It is a high, cone-capped cylinder that dominates the skyline and offers a panoramic vista of Istanbul’s historic peninsula… |
Bosphorus CruiseTaking a cruise on Bosphorus is one of the best ways to discover the elegance of Istanbul. From Bosphorus, you can enjoy the whole city from a new viewpoint! Travel between the two continents and get enchanted by all the beauty you will see… |
Suleymaniye MosqueThis complex is the masterpiece of Mimar Sinan, the finest Ottoman architect. It is located on the third hill of Istanbul and it is the biggest cami of the city. In the garden behind the main mosque there are two mausoleums where are located the tombs of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and his wife's Hürrem Sultan. It also provides great views to the Golden Horn |